Connecting with our patients is important to us here at The Cosmetic Surgery Clinic. There are many ways we try to do this every day, but one of the simplest ways we find common ground is by going through the same experiences as our patients. That’s right, we all have the same body concerns as you do, and by having these treatments done ourselves, we’re better suited to guide you through them and show you the results first-hand! If you’re nervous about trying something new, just ask. We’re happy to share our experience with you.
Last time, Laura walked you through the process of her very first CoolSculpting® treatment (which, by the way, was a total success). This time we’re going to give you some insider information about a treatment that achieves a similar result, getting rid of unwanted stubborn fat, in a totally different way.
Belkyra® is a non-surgical, injectable treatment we offer at our Waterloo, ON, practice that is designed to target the fat under your chin—known in technical terms as submental fullness or, in a much more recognizable phrase, as a double chin. If you’ve noticed that, despite eating well and working out, you still have noticeable fat there, it’s not abnormal. The chin is an area that is difficult to improve with diet or exercise, often because it is a hereditary trait. Belkyra was formulated specifically to address these concerns.
The Benefits of Belkyra vs. CoolSculpting
If this sounds kind of familiar, it’s because we’ve mentioned before that CoolSculpting can be done for the chin area as well. But why do Belkyra if CoolSculpting is an option? Because CoolSculpting isn’t for everyone—the applicator has to fit very specifically in order to get the right kind of suction, and the chin and neck area is often contoured in a way that makes this difficult. Belkyra is a fantastic treatment option because it’s more versatile in its application and can be done on anyone who is a candidate.
The Science of Belkyra
Let us explain the science behind it all: Belkyra is made up of a synthetic form of deoxycholic acid, a naturally occurring acid in your body that metabolizes fat. An injection of Belkyra breaks down the membranes of the targeted fat cells and causes them to collapse. The collapsed fat cells are then naturally eliminated by your body.
Just like with CoolSculpting, the fat cells that are targeted by Belkyra will be permanently reduced. Your remaining cells can still fluctuate, but if you maintain a steady weight and lifestyle, you can say goodbye to that double chin forever.
Next Step: Get Rid of That Double Chin
Sounds pretty good, right? And the best part is, it’s easy! If you want to say goodbye to your chin fat, your first step is to come to meet Beauty Nurse Majid for a consultation to determine if you are a candidate for the procedure. Majid will build a treatment plan with you, determining how many treatments you’ll need for the best results. Most patients have 2 to 4 treatments, each approximately 1 month apart. You might even want to explore other injectable treatments to help contour your jawline and really make your results stand out! Majid is incredibly patient, highly experienced, and has a gentle manner that will put you at ease for the whole experience.
Lauren’s Belkyra Treatment
We were lucky enough to see Majid in action recently while he did this procedure for our very own Beauty Nurse Lauren, who had this treatment once before and was due for her second session. She kindly agreed to let us watch while Majid did what he does best!
Generally, what scares most people about Belkyra is that it is an injection. Most of you probably don’t love that thought and nobody blames you, 
but Lauren can attest that Belkyra is not a scary thing. In truth, the preparation for the treatment takes longer than the procedure itself, so the part you might be worried about is over super quick. Majid can use a topical numbing cream before the treatment, which allows for optimal comfort. It’s worth noting that Lauren opted not to use the numbing cream and was totally fine—we watched her the whole time, and she didn’t even flinch.
Preparing for Belkyra
The first step in preparation is cleansing the chin and neck, and then the most time-consuming portion is marking the treatment area. In this, we got to see Majid as the true artist that he is. It’s a process that he takes very seriously, and with good reason—the treatment area must be very specific to ensure that the fat layer is the only thing being injected. Your body is a complex map of nerves and tissues, and Majid is highly skilled at finding what he needs. There’s a reason you want to come to an experienced and trained professional like Majid when doing any kind of treatment! You can learn more about Belkyra treatments in this related blog post.
He spent a few minutes feeling out the area of fat that he wanted to treat and marking it appropriately. Then it was time to get inked up: that’s right, we’re going back to temporary tattoos! The grid is a tattoo about the size of your hand, made up of rows of dots to mark the injection sites. It’s applied to your neck/chin and then Majid will wipe off any of the grid that is beyond the treatment area. In Lauren’s case, the treatment area was quite small, only 15 ‘dots’ or injection sites.
During the Belkyra Treatment
Beauty Nurse Lauren described the injections for me as a very slight prick with a quick, burning sensation—and this is all without numbing cream, remember! It only took about 3-5 minutes for the treatment to be completed. She was given an ice pack immediately after to help reduce any swelling or bruising, and for relief of any discomfort, which only lasts for approximately 5 minutes after the injection. Majid wiped off the remaining grid tattoo, and Lauren was back to work! The whole process took about 30 minutes from start to finish (and probably only that long because we kept interrupting to ask questions).
Is There Downtime With Belkyra?
If you’re wondering about downtime…it hardly exists. Lauren had some swelling and a bit of redness in the first few days after treatment, which is expected, but nothing a scarf or a cozy sweater can’t hide. She says that after her original treatment, she did experience some firmness at the injection site, but she didn’t find that she had any this time. Her favourite thing about this treatment is that it doesn’t stop her from doing anything in her regular routine.
How Long Does It Take Belkyra to Work?
Lauren will start seeing results anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks, and she should do her next round of Belkyra in another month or two. Have a look next time you’re in to see how well it’s working for her!
You can also see some of our patients’ results with Belkyra and other injectables in our gallery of before-and-after photos.
We want you to feel confident from every angle, and it’s possible with Belkyra. Come meet with Beauty Nurse Majid to discuss if it’s a good fit for you! You can request a consultation using our online form or by calling us at (519) 746-1132.
